NEW YORK — A dreary Thursday found Tennessee's basketball players at a sixth-floor gym in the New York Athletic Club, going through their paces to prepare for North Carolina.

This was two years to the day the Vols last played North Carolina in a more congenial climate.

On Nov. 23, 2004, the Tar Heels dispatched UT 94-81 in the Maui Invitational, a contest less competitive than the final score indicated.

Since then, each program has stayed in character.

North Carolina won another national championship.

Tennessee made another coaching change.

The Tar Heels and Vols meet again today at Madison Square Garden although, personnel-wise, there is little carry-over from their Maui encounter.

UT's only senior, Dane Bradshaw, will see few familiar faces on a Carolina roster loaded with freshmen and sophomores.

"That's what happens to you when you're at North Carolina,'' Bradshaw said Thursday. "You're not in college as long as I am.''

His reference was to Rashad McCants, Raymond Felton, Sean May and Marvin Williams — four stars on the Maui Invitational champion team, all of whom bolted early for the NBA after cutting down the nets to celebrate the 2005 NCAA tournament championship.

Don't feel sorry for Carolina. It reloaded quite nicely.

Even though they're reduced to the consolation game tonight after being upset by Gonzaga, the No. 2-ranked Tar Heels should be national-champion contenders again come March.

"North Carolina has 12 McDonald's All-Americans,'' said UT coach Bruce Pearl. "I'd have a hard time keeping all those guys happy.''

A slight exaggeration. Carolina has six McDonald's All-Americans. Three are sophomores, the other three freshmen, an indication of how well coach Roy Williams has recruited in the interim between Maui and Manhattan.

"They're able to pick from the pick of the litter,'' said Tony Jones, UT's associate head coach.

"When they start their recruiting, it's only a pool of maybe 15. People like us, we've got to have 50.''

One recruit last year was in both pools. Duke Crews took the road less traveled when he chose the Vols over the Tar Heels.

"When North Carolina recruits you,'' Crews said Thursday, "you think about it. You think about it long and hard.

"That was a good situation for me. I just think this was a better one. I stand out a whole lot more if I can do something here.''

Here is the history Crews weighed:

The Tar Heels have five NCAA titles and 16 Final Four appearances. Tennessee hasn't tallied either yet.

The Tar Heels have won 89 NCAA tourney games. Tennessee has won nine.

Ten Tar Heels are in the NBA. There are no Vols.

North Carolina has been ranked No. 1 at some point in 15 different seasons. The Vols have been No. 4 twice, 33 years apart.

But maybe the only numbers that are relevant today will be the thousands of Carolina-blue-clad fans.

And unlike UT, Carolina brought a pep band and cheerleaders. Not to do so would be unthinkable to a program fully committed to basketball.

Wednesday night was a Carolina Garden party. Today will be likewise.

"It's not that they're all Tar Heel grads,'' said Pearl. "It's like the Yankees. North Carolina has won for so long.''

Tennessee has tried for so long.

There has been some success, but not Carolina-level success and not on any consistent basis.

Which is why Pearl is up to the plate, succeeding an old Tar Heel, Buzz Peterson, who in turn had succeeded Williams' oldest friend in the business, Jerry Green.

By hiring first Green, then Peterson (and before that unsuccessfully wooing Williams) Tennessee could be labeled a North Carolina wanna-be.

The thing is, there's absolutely nothing wrong with that.